upgrading brew process with plate chiller and filter help

[chaos2984]

Ok I think i want to upgrade my brewing process of cooling the wort down and filtering it. Im doing all extract brewing right now until i get enough experience to move up to all grain.

I want to add a filter to my system and i would like to use a plate chiller instead of a copper worm.

I have 2 questions im brewing 5 gallon batches right now. how big of a plate chiller should i use to cool it down to correct temp with tap water out of the faucet. Also what kind of pump should i get for it.

question for filtering. Should I filter before i put it before the plate chiller or after before it goes into the fermentation bucket. Will the filter get clogged before all the wort passes threw or will the pump force it threw. I will have all the hops left over from the boil from the pellets and other steeping grains leftover that escaped the tea bag.

 

[Golddiggie]

If you just want to keep the hop matter out of the plate chiller, get/use a hop spider. You have several options there from making your own, to buying the one of two from Stainless Brewing. If you have grain getting into the boil, you need to use better mesh bags there. I actually run my mash wort through a nylon grain bag (the fine mesh) to capture anything that could come out of the mash tun. Nothing gets through it.

For the plate chiller, you need to decide how fast you want to chill and how much you want to spend. Check out what Duda Diesel sells.You can get it almost 100% ready right from the start. Either go with hose barb connections, or with the NPT to use QD's on it. Done, and easy.

For a pump, I like March pumps (809 or 815). Others like chugger. Get either one and you should be ok. Look up the threads about how to set one up to prevent air bubbles from getting it to squeal during the boil. Basically, you install a ball valve on the pump outlet side and partially close/open it during the boil to keep more wort (and less air) in the pump head. Once the boil is done, open it up full bore.

 

[chaos2984]

well its just the dust that comes off the steeping grains and small debris nothing crazy most of it is just hop matter. maybe like a 1/4 -1/2 cup of crap depending on how much hops when its all said and done when i brew now.

 

[Golddiggie]

well its just the dust that comes off the steeping grains and small debris nothing crazy most of it is just hop matter. maybe like a 1/4 -1/2 cup of crap depending on how much hops when its all said and done when i brew now.

I use the spider I made to contain all the pellet hop matter. I've put at least 7-1/2 ounces of hops in it so far (might have done more, would need to check recipes). With that, I get virtually no hop matter going through the plate chiller. So, no other filtering is needed, or wanted. IMO, a hop spider will do a fine job. Either of the two I linked to earlier will work. If you go with the cheap one, just get a bag that will go deep enough into your kettle. You want to keep it a few inches off the bottom so it won't get F'd up there.

 

[chaos2984]

gotcha i dont have a false bottom or anything in my kettle its just a turkey fryer i use to do the boil its about 7 gallons. i would have to put a suction hose into the fryer to suck the wort out to filter or chill it. unless i drill a whole and tap it for fittings

 

[chaos2984]

so you use the spyder to contain the hops while you boil correct??

 

[Golddiggie]

IMO you won't be able to get a siphon going well enough to support feeding a plate chiller. You'll need to install a ball valve into the pot and make it a kettle. It's NOT difficult, especially if that's an aluminum pot. Even if it's stainless steel, there's several tutorials posted about doing it with ease. Just install the weldless ball valve and dip tube assembly (from outside in, ball valve, washer, 1/2 NPT to 1/2" compression fitting, o-ring or gasket, dip tube). You don't need a false bottom at all. I don't have one in my boil keggle. If you're going to drop a couple C notes on the pump, and chiller, spend the extra $40-$50 and get the proper fitting to feed it all. Bargain Fittings has the hardware you'll need to do this.

BTW, I don't use couplers in my keggles. IMO, they're completely not needed. You can do it with the few items I listed above without issue. If you want, you can add a bulkhead, but that's also not needed. I did on my current boil keggle so that I could better install TC fittings on the outside for things to connect with. 100% my choice, not a required item.

 

[Golddiggie]

so you use the spyder to contain the hops while you boil correct??

Yes, like this...

Another shot (not in the boil):

Basic parts used:





I've shortened the legs (went with 3" legs, that's a 6" OD stainless cake form) and added a pair of nuts to keep it in position... I'll try to remember to take a picture of it in use next brew day.

BTW, all the metal parts of my spider are stainless steel...

 

[chaos2984]

sounds good and yes the pot is aluminum for now until i get funds to replace it with a keggle or a bigger SS pot.

Also i was looking at pumps on diesel's site and his plate chiller chart. I dont think he has the correct pump's on his site for the plate chiller to correctly cool the wort. If i read it correctly you want someting around 1gallon per minute or less to flow slowly enough threw the chiller to cool it fast.

also should i get quick disconnects for the system. I already have a kegging system with all the barb fittings and such. Or should i go with smaller quick disconnects. Im also looking for good storage as well since i live in a town house I like to disassemble it with ease and store it on the shelfs with the rest of the beer stuffs. Should i look for beverage quick disconnect fittings

 

[Golddiggie]

Get the March 815 (larger impeller than the 809 [which it's replaced], otherwise identical) or a chugger pump. I don't know what's on the DD site, since I only got my plate chiller from there. I got the B3-23A 40 Plate Beer Wort Garden Hose Chiller [HX2340BWGH] with the NPT connections so that I could use the QD's I have. Other suppliers have the 815 in stock, if you don't mind spending a little more and not waiting. You can reach out to Rebel to see when they'll have them in stock, or hunt at your favorite online HBS, or see if your LHBS can get you one.

As for how to set up the chiller, that's really up to YOU. I like having QD's on mine so that it's easy to break down after brewing. Some like barbs on theirs. It's really personal choice. But, you can always use barbs on NPT fittings (just install the NPT to barb fitting) but you can't go the other way. IMO, better to have the NPT so you're at least more flexible for the options.

 

[chaos2984]

sounds good Im going to do some more research on what else i need for hoses and qd's and such and setup. and get everything together for when its time to order it all

 

[Golddiggie]

You'll want 1/2" ID, 1/8" wall silicone tubing. Figure out how much you'll need, then add several more feet to that amount. Map out everything (dry run) before you cut any of the tubing so that you don't cut something too short, or way too long. It also doesn't hurt to have more than a few 'extra' feet of the tubing on hand. Stainless Brewing has a really good price on the tubing currently ($1.99 per foot).

For the ball valve, this is what I'm talking about... Once you have the kettle in hand, get this dip tube assembly. You'll need to provide the measurements to them, so that the tube is cut to the right size. Then you're good to go. I would get the Delrin sleeve for under the compression nut, on the 1/2" OD dip tube. It will be easier to install, and remove later than the stainless ferrules. I have several of those sleeves on hand now. With my first dip tube, from NorCal, I used the stainless ferrules. Not something that's all that easy to get setup initially. Easy to use after, but not to get set up.

 

[chaos2984]

sounds good ill make alot of notes and such. I work on cars for living so i know how to do all this stuff for setting it up and such. I was thinking about mounting the pump and plate chiller to a pieace of ply wood covered in laquer so its water friendly so its easy to store and such

 

[Golddiggie]

Be aware, with the normal pump heads, you'll need additional clearance under them for the inlet fittings/feed. You want to have the head orientated so that the outlet faces up. With standard, in line, heads, that means you need 6" (or more) under the pump for tubing and fittings. Many of us mount our pumps into tool boxes, that can also store other things.

I'll take a picture of mine later and post it here.

Until then, this is how I have my center inlet pump head configured.

This is connected to the plate chiller wort out side:

 

[chaos2984]

do you use a flow control meter or you just watch the outlet while closing the ball valve and determine the proper flow that you want to achieve.

 

[Golddiggie]

do you use a flow control meter or you just watch the outlet while closing the ball valve and determine the proper flow that you want to achieve.

No flow meter needed. I have a thermometer in the assembly that's on the wort out side of the chiller. That helps me to determine if i need to adjust the valves for flow rates. Chill water rate is typically 100%, just the valves that control the wort are adjusted.

 

[chaos2984]

gotcha sounds good. Im going to put together a list and such about what i need

 

[Golddiggie]

Here's how my pump head is configured currently. The pic I posted earlier was an old configuration.

The only real difference is the orientation of the valve/outlet side in relation to the inlet.

 

[chaos2984]

i hear alot of people say vinyl tubing gives off flavors when hot fluid is flown threw the tubes. So im assuming thats y people dont use that and use silicon instead right?

 

[Golddiggie]

i hear alot of people say vinyl tubing gives off flavors when hot fluid is flown threw the tubes. So im assuming thats y people dont use that and use silicon instead right?

On brew day, I use all silicone tubing (1/2" ID, 1/8" wall) where the hot wort will flow. I even use some to run the chilled wort into fermenting vessel.

 

[chaos2984]

ill just go with all silicon tubing. also what fittings do you use to adapt it from the tube to the metal fittings

 

[Golddiggie]

ill just go with all silicon tubing. also what fittings do you use to adapt it from the tube to the metal fittings

Depends on the fittings you place on the pump, chiller, kettle, etc... Typically you get the male and female parts, with one side threaded and the other barb. That way the one with the hose barb goes on the hose and the other goes into/onto the threaded fitting of the pump, chiller, kettle, etc...